Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) experienced an influx of institutional investment during the third quarter of the year. Argent Capital Management LLC added 37,069 shares, valued at approximately $16.95 million, according to the firm’s latest 13F filing with the SEC. The communications equipment provider has attracted several other large investors in recent months. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in the second quarter, valued at $25,000, while Saudi Central Bank bought shares worth $29,000 in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC, showing a 289.5% increase in its position, added 55 more shares in Q2, raising its stake to 74 shares, worth about $31,000. Similarly, Rossby Financial LLC raised its holdings by 148.6%, now owning 87 shares valued at $37,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC also made a new investment in the second quarter, valued at $39,000. Institutional investors, including hedge funds, own approximately 84.17% of the company's shares.
Wall Street analysts have shared mixed reviews. Weiss Ratings has reiterated a "Hold (C+)" on Motorola Solutions, while Evercore ISI raised the target price from $500 to $525, maintaining an "Outperform" rating. Piper Sandler also restated a "Neutral" rating but adjusted the price target to $465. Northcoast Research upgraded the stock from "Neutral" to "Buy" with a target of $450. Barclays, on the other hand, lowered its target from $509 to $495, while maintaining an "Overweight" rating. Of the analysts, six recommend "Buy" and four hold a "Hold" rating. The average consensus rating is "Moderate Buy," with a target price of $495.
As of Tuesday, shares of Motorola Solutions traded at $372.95. Over the past year, the stock has ranged from a low of $359.36 to a high of $492.22. Motorola’s market capitalization is currently $62.12 billion, with a P/E ratio of 29.93 and a P/E/G ratio of 2.95. The company’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages are $394.08 and $426.45, respectively.
For the third quarter, Motorola Solutions posted earnings of $4.06 per share, surpassing analysts' estimates of $3.85 by $0.21. The company’s revenue for the quarter was $3.01 billion, exceeding expectations of $2.99 billion and reflecting a 7.8% increase year-over-year. The net margin stood at 18.71%, and return on equity reached 118.48%. Analysts predict Motorola Solutions will report earnings of $13.55 per share for the current year.
Motorola Solutions also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.21 per share, payable on January 15, with an ex-dividend date of December 15. This marks a substantial increase from its previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. The new dividend represents an annual yield of 1.3%, with a payout ratio of 38.84%.
Motorola Solutions is renowned for its role in providing mission-critical communications and analytics solutions. The company specializes in developing communications equipment and software that ensure reliable operation for public safety and commercial sectors in high-pressure environments. Key product offerings include land mobile radios (LMRs) for emergency services, broadband push-to-talk, LTE solutions, video security systems, and command-and-control software for incident management.